Following the previews of heavenly Bastion and gothic Revendreth, the developers from Activision Blizzard welcome champions of Azeroth to Oribos, the player hub in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
The city of Oribos serves as the crossroads of the Shadowlands. Here, mortal souls are judged by the Arbiter before being sent to their final destinations, and shadowy denizens swap gossip and anima—the soulborn essence that fuels the Shadowlands.
However, for reasons unknown, the Arbiter has gone dormant and no longer directs souls to their afterlives. Instead every one of them is being damned to the torment of the Maw—a place from which you were the first to successfully escape. Your arrival in Oribos gives denizens of Shadowlands a glimmer of hope in a dark time.
Oribos is inhabited by Attendants and Brokers:
- Oribos is in the care of the Attendants, mysterious beings who were created to tend to the Eternal City and ensure the Arbiter carries out her duties without interruption. Their decisions are guided by “the Purpose,” the belief that the Shadowlands follows a pattern laid out by the Arbiter in her infinite wisdom.
- Native to an unnamed realm of the Shadowlands, Brokers possess an innate affinity for locating anima, even in the midst of the current drought. They appear eager to assist the mortals arriving in Oribos, offering their expertise in acquiring raw materials and crafting them into useful goods. Savvy and adaptable, the Brokers keep their true intentions to themselves.
Oribos is split into 4 parts:
- The Soul Stream is made up of all the mortal souls entering the Shadowlands. Though intended to be judged by the Arbiter and sent to the afterlife each has earned, every soul—noble and villainous alike—is instead heading straight into the Maw.
- Ring of Fates offers all the services an adventurer would need, such as profession trainers (found within the Hall of Shapes), a bank (Hall of Holding), and PvP vendors. You’ll also be able to access barber shops which will provide updated appearance options for your characters in a future alpha update.
- Ring of Transference allows travelers to come in and out of Oribos freely using the portals and flight master’s services within. From here, players can travel to Bastion’s elysian fields, the gladiator arenas of Maldraxxus, Ardenweald’s ethereal forests, the gothic spires of Revendreth, and the horrors of the Maw.
- The Arbiter’s Chamber sits atop the very crown of Oribos. From here the Arbiter has judged every mortal soul crossing into the Shadowlands since the dawn of time. But now, instead of being shepherded to their deserved fate, all souls are flowing past the dormant Arbiter and hurtling directly into the horrors of the Maw. The desperate Attendants have sought in vain to unravel this mystery, causing some to question their own unwavering faith in the Purpose.
